Authors curate; stories told. A community captured.

EDENS, the retail real estate owner, operator and developer of a nationally-leading portfolio of 125 community places, announced today its collaboration with Guesst, the innovative retail technology platform that streamlines partnerships between retailers, owners and brands, to unveil an experiential retail “co-op” for independent, maker and direct-to-consumer retail brands. The concept will launch in the Union Market District in Washington, DC in November ahead of the holiday season.

The collaboration between EDENS and Guesst, named “In Seven Words,” will host a collective of brands across various categories, such as home, fashion, literature and art, offering a physical experiential platform for curated retailers and a canvas for routine community experiences. “In Seven Words” will launch with a 1,500-square-foot space at 1268 4th Street NE, Washington, DC, adjacent to the newly opened La Cosecha, the contemporary marketplace celebrating Latin American culture.

Authors, or store curators, will be invited to share their seven-word narrative as a point of view for the concept’s weekly experiences, brand merchandise placements and visual media creation, which will evolve with seasonal and organic editing. The Union Market District launch location boasts a historic storefront and a minimal industrial aesthetic, which is layered into the project’s design and is depicted in the released concept rendering.

Guesst’s proprietary technology will facilitate all sales transactions, payments, inventory tracking and data reporting, streamlining and automating the operation for both the EDENS team and the brands they partner with. Guesst software will also allow the EDENS team to continually source and connect with new, compatible brands through the platform’s intuitive search and live chat functions.

“A core aspect of the Guesst platform’s mission is to empower brands and retailers to add more value to the community as a whole,” said Jay Norris, Founder and CEO of Guesst. “The EDENS team shares our vision that this collective of upscale heritage, indie and direct-to-consumer brands, powered by Guesst, will nurture the Union Market District community and will act as an essential amenity to create compelling moments for its residents and guests.”

“

We know that the future of retail is about human engagement and meaningful storytelling. ‘In Seven Words’ is a concept that will help us thoughtfully tell the stories of our retail partners, their purpose and their guest in way that creates meaningful content for our community’s lives,” said Jodie W. McLean, CEO of EDENS. “Our purpose is to enrich community and that is at the core of all we do. We are thrilled to collaborate and integrate the Guesst technology platform for this innovative project at Union Market District.

“In Seven Words” will officially launch with confirmed brands such as Michele Varian, Viavi Gallery, Welden Bags and Hayley KS Fine jewelry curated by the launch Author, Michele Varian: “Bringing compelling stories from SoHo to DC.” Additional brands to announced in the coming weeks. For more information, please visit InSevenWords.com and follow @In.Seven.Words on Instagram.

First edition authored by:

See the latest news on In Seven Words:

“

The co-op is being curated by guest "authors,’ as Norris calls them. Once every quarter, a new author will populate the space with products based on their seven word theme and inject their point of view into the assortment. ‘People are going out of business in retail. Let's bring on designers as consultants and give them a new platform to curate and a store to create. READ MORE

Women's Wear DailyGuesst, EDENS Spell Out a New Co-op Venue: In Seven Words

“

Edens is partnering with retail tech platform Guesst to debut a retail collective in Washington, D.C. The space was curated by designer Michele Varian, with works by fashion designers, artists, and high-end art, home and lifestyle brands. The space, 1,500-square-feet, will open at 1268 4th Street NE. READ MORE

Business of HomeSandow acquires Metropolis magazine, WeWork may lay off thousands, and more

“

Authors, or store curators, will be invited to share their seven-word narrative as a point of view for the concept's weekly experiences, brand merchandise placements and visual media creation, which will evolve with seasonal and organic editing. The Union Market District launch location boasts a historic storefront and a minimal industrial aesthetic, which is layered into the project's design and is depicted in the released concept rendering. READ MORE

Fashion ManuscriptEDENS and Guesst Announce Collaboration to launch Innovative Experiential Retail Collective in the Union Market District in Washington, DC this Holiday Season

“

Inspired by the urban legend about Ernest Hemingway writing six-word stories, the crew from Union Market developer EDENS realized that two of their favorite slogans contained seven words: “Our work is bigger than real estate” and “We are in the business of humanity.” In a nod to Hemingway, the store will ask participating brands to provide a seven-word mission statement that sums up their spirit, almost like what you’d find on display next to a piece of art. READ MORE

WashingtonianThis New “Retail Co-Op” Near Union Market Isn’t Just Another Home Goods Store